Men who drink may be putting their future children at risk of problems related to brain and organ development, according to a new study.

Research published in the journal Animal Cells and Systems, raises the possibility that fathers’ drinking habits may be connected to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Researchers conducted the experiment on two groups of male mice. One group was exposed to various levels of alcohol, while mice in a control group were only exposed to saline. Scientists then allowed the mice to mate, before examining their offspring. A number of the offspring who’s fathers had been exposed to alcohol, suffered from abnormalities in brain and organ development. Offspring whose fathers came from the saline group experienced no such problems.

The authors believe that alcohol consumption affects those genes in the sperm responsible for normal development of the foetus. “This ground-breaking research provides the first definitive evidence that fathers’ drinking habits pre-conception can cause significant foetal abnormalities,” according to the scientists.